Chemistry

Part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Chemistry has a history that traces back to the very founding of the University. Bridging the sciences of biology, geology, and physics, chemistry is the central science that studies the composition, structure, properties, and behavior of matter at a molecular level. Students and faculty engage in a collaborative setting to address research problems of contemporary importance, focusing on biomolecular chemistry, energy and the environment, and materials chemistry.

Explanation of Course Numbers

Those in the 2000s to 4000s are upper-division undergraduate courses that can also be taken for graduate credit with permission and additional work

Those in the 6000s and 8000s are for master’s, doctoral, and professional-level students

The 6000s are open to advanced undergraduate students with approval of the instructor and the dean or advising office

CHEM 1000. Dean's Seminar. 3 Credits.

Contemporary topics in chemistry.

CHEM 1003. Contemporary Science for Nonscience Majors. 3 Credits.

Contemporary topics in physical, biological, and medical science. CHEM 1003 is not a prerequisite to CHEM 1004. Laboratory fee.

CHEM 1004. Contemporary Science for Nonscience Majors. 3 Credits.

Continuation of CHEM 1003. Contemporary topics in physical, biological, and medical science. CHEM 1003 is not a prerequisite to CHEM 1004. Laboratory fee.

CHEM 1111. General Chemistry I. 4 Credits.

Atomic structure and properties; stoichiometry; gas, liquid, and solid state; chemical bonding; solutions; chemical kinetics and equilibria; thermodynamics; acids and bases; electrochemistry; descriptive chemistry. Laboratory fee. Restricted to students with one year of high school algebra.

Sophomore colloquia are small, seminar-type classes that deeply engage CCAS second-year students in a discipline, focus on a narrow issue of high interest and impact, and require independent research projects. May be repeated provided topic differs. Consult the Schedule of Classes for more details. Restricted to CCAS sophomores.

CHEM 2010. History of Chemistry. 2,3 Credits.

CHEM 2085. Environmental Chemistry. 3 Credits.

Chemistry and physics of the environment, with emphasis on water and air pollution; environmental analysis and modeling and their limitations.

CHEM 2122. Introductory Quantitative Analysis. 3 Credits.

Theory and practice of quantitative analysis by modern methods; evaluation of analytical data emphasizing detection and correction of experimental errors. CHEM 2123 may be taken as a corequisite. Prerequisite: CHEM 1112.

Laboratory complement to CHEM 2122. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Laboratory fee. CHEM 2122 may be taken as a corequisite. Prerequisite: CHEM 2122.

CHEM 2151. Organic Chemistry I. 3 Credits.

Systematic treatment of the structure, preparation, properties, and reactions of the principal classes of organic compounds. Fundamental principles of stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, and spectroscopic methods of analysis. Prerequisite: CHEM 1112.

Laboratory compnent of CHEM 2151. Introduction to and practice in basic skills of synthesis, separation, purification, and identification of organic compounds. CHEM 2151 may be taken as a corequisite. Laboratory fee. Prerequisite: CHEM 2151.

CHEM 2154. Organic Chemistry Laboratory II. 1 Credit.

Continuation of CHEM 2153. Laboratory component of CHEM 2152. Introduction to and practice in basic skills of synthesis, separation, purification, and identification of organic compounds. CHEM 2152 may be taken as a corequisite. Laboratory fee. Prerequisites: CHEM 2152 and CHEM 2153.

CHEM 3140. Geochemistry. 3 Credits.

Chemical systems and processes on the planet Earth; origins and interactions among and within the Earth’s lithosphere, oceans, and atmosphere; origin, distribution, and behavior of the elements; radioactive and stable isotope systems. Aqueous geochemistry; geochemical cycles. Prerequisites: GEOL 1001 or GEOL 1005; and CHEM 1111 and CHEM 1112.

CHEM 3165. Biochemistry I. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the chemistry of living cells; structure and function of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids; enzyme structure, mechanism, and regulation. Credit toward the degree cannot be earned for both CHEM 3165 and BIOC 3261/BISC 3261. Prerequisites: CHEM 2151 and CHEM 2152.

CHEM 3166. Biochemistry II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of CHEM 3165. Introduction to the chemistry of living cells; structure and function of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids; enzyme structure, mechanism, and regulation. Credit toward the degree cannot be earned for both CHEM 3166 and BIOC 3263/BISC 3263. Prerequisite: CHEM 3165.

CHEM 3166W. Biochemistry II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of CHEM 3165. Introduction to the chemistry of living cells; structure and function of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids; enzyme structure, mechanism, and regulation. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Credit toward the degree cannot be earned for both CHEM 3166W and BIOC 3263/BISC 3263. Prerequisite: CHEM 3165.

CHEM 3170. Introduction to Physical Chemistry. 3 Credits.

Thermodynamics, chemical and physical equilibria, kinetics, and spectroscopy. Examples taken from biological systems. May not be taken for credit by students who have received credit for CHEM 3171 and CHEM 3172 or an equivalent course. Restricted to non-chemistry majors. Prerequisites: CHEM 1111 and CHEM 1112; and MATH 1231; and PHYS 1012 or PHYS 1022 or PHYS 1026; or permission of the instructor.

Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement.

CHEM 3564. Lipid Biotechnology. 0-2 Credits.

Study of common experimental techniques used in life science laboratories to separate and characterize biological macromolecules. Laboratory fee. Prerequisites: BIOC 3261 or BISC 3261 or CHEM 3165. (Same as BIOC 3564).

Theory of instrumental methods in qualitative and quantitative analysis, determination of structure, with emphasis on atomic and molecular spectrophotometry, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, chromatography, and electroanalysis. Corequisite: CHEM 4123. CHEM 3171 may be taken as a corequisite. Prerequisites: CHEM 3171 or permission of the instructor.

Research on problems approved by the staff. Approval must be obtained prior to registration. A final written report on the work is required. For students requesting Special Honors in chemistry, a poster or oral presentation is also required. May be repeated for credit. Majors are encouraged to take the course for two semesters. Laboratory fee.

CHEM 4195W. Undergraduate Research. 1-3 Credits.

Research on problems approved by the staff. Approval must be obtained prior to registration. A final written report on the work is required. For students requesting Special Honors in chemistry, a poster or oral presentation is also required. May be repeated for credit. Majors are encouraged to take the course for two semesters. Includes a significant engagement in writing as a form of critical inquiry and scholarly expression to satisfy the WID requirement. Laboratory fee.

Application of modern chemical theories to inorganic substances and reactions; detailed study, developed from the periodic table, of the chemistry of the more common elements; electronic spectra and reaction mechanisms of complexes; organometallic chemistry; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; bioinorganic chemistry. Prerequisites: CHEM 3172 and CHEM 4134.

CHEM 6236. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II. 3 Credits.

Continuation of CHEM 6235. Application of modern chemical theories to inorganic substances and reactions; detailed study, developed from the periodic table, of the chemistry of the more common elements; electronic spectra and reaction mechanisms of complexes; organometallic chemistry; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; bioinorganic chemistry. Prerequisites: CHEM 3172 and CHEM 4134.

Applications of quantum mechanics and group theory to the interpretation of electronic, vibrational, rotational, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Prerequisite: CHEM 6277.

CHEM 6280. Energy and the Environment. 3 Credits.

Fundamentals of energy conversion in thermomechanical, thermochemical, electrochemical, and photoelectric processes in existing and future power and transportation systems, with emphasis on efficiency, environmental impact, and performance.

CHEM 6281. Environmental Chemistry: Air, Water, and Soil. 3 Credits.

Survey of the behavior, movement and impact of natural and man-made chemicals in all layers of the environment in the context of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; the effects of acid rain, sewage treatment, ozone destruction, anthropogenic climate change, air pollution, and eutrophication.

CHEM 6282. Green Industrial Chemistry. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the basic design principles for greener chemical technologies; widely used practices, including catalysis, use of renewable starting materials, minimization of energy inputs, and use of greener solvents.

Introduction to the basic tools and paradigms of toxicology in the context of chemical design for minimizing potential toxicity of commercial chemicals; computational methods for prediction of bioavailability, reactivity, bioaccumulation and different types of toxicity; application of in silico methods to the rational re-design of functional and safer chemicals.

CHEM 6284. Environmental Analytical Chemistry. 3 Credits.

Advanced analytical methodology for environmental assessment; analytical instrumentation, techniques for remote measurements, determination of trace atmospheric constituents of anthropogenic and natural origin, measurement uncertainty analysis, detection and identification of organic and inorganic pollutants in air, water, soil and biota, and the determination of heavy metals and radionuclides in the environment.

Group projects carried out with an external partner or client—such as a government agency, nonprofit group, or chemistry laboratory research project—that identify and solve real world scientific problems related to environmental and green chemistry.

CHEM 6314. Fundamental-Computational Chemistry. 3 Credits.

.

CHEM 6315. Computational Chem-Biomolecule. 3 Credits.

CHEM 6320. Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry. 1-3 Credits.

Advanced topics offered in a modular format to allow an in-depth examination of a self-selected field of analytical chemistry. One to three topics may be chosen for a given semester. May be repeated for credit.

CHEM 6330. Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. 1-3 Credits.

Advanced topics offered in a modular format to allow an in-depth examination of a self-selected field of inorganic chemistry. One to three topics may be chosen for a given semester. May be repeated for credit.

CHEM 6350. Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry. 1-3 Credits.

Advanced topics offered in a modular format to allow an in-depth examination of a self-selected field in organic chemistry. One to three topics may be chosen for a given semester. May be repeated for credit.

The design of syntheses for complex organic molecules; survey of modern synthetic methods, including asymmetric induction; spectroscopic methods of structure determination. Prerequisites: CHEM 6251 or permission of the instructor.

CHEM 6370. Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry. 1-3 Credits.

Advanced topics offered in a modular format to allow an in-depth examination of a self-selected field of physical chemistry. One to three topics may be chosen for a given semester. May be repeated for credit.

CHEM 6371. Physical Chemistry I. 1-3 Credits.

Gas laws, chemical thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, kinetics, quantum chemistry, atomic and molecular spectra, structure of solids, liquids, and macromolecules. Students enrolled at the graduate level are expected to do additional work. Permission of the department required prior to enrollment.

CHEM 6372. Physical Chemistry II. 1-3 Credits.

Continuation of CHEM 6371. Basic concepts of quantum chemistry and molecular spectroscopy; application of modern physical chemistry theory to exploration of a wide range of physical properties for open and closed chemical systems in the gas and condensed phases. Restricted to students with permission of the department. Prerequisite: CHEM 6371.

CHEM 6390. Selected Topics in Chemistry. 0-3 Credits.

Advanced topics offered in a modular format to allow an in-depth examination of a self-selected field in chemistry. One to three topics may be chosen for a given semester. May be repeated for credit.

CHEM 6395. Research. 1-12 Credits.

Limited to master’s degree candidates. Survey of a topic approved by departmental staff and resulting in a written report and presentation of a seminar. Open to qualified students with advanced training. May be repeated for credit.

CHEM 6998. Thesis Research. 1-9 Credits.

Limited to students in the master's degree program.

CHEM 6999. Thesis Research. 3 Credits.

Limited to students in the Master's Degree program.

CHEM 8998. Advanced Reading and Research. 1-12 Credits.

May be repeated for credit. Restricted to doctoral candidates preparing for the general examination.